''Scutavirus'' is a genus of

viruses A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Viruses are found in almo ...

in the order ''

Herpesvirales ''Herpesvirales'' is an order of dsDNA viruses (Baltimore group I) with animal hosts, characterised by a common morphology consisting of an icosahedral capsid enclosed in a glycoprotein-containing lipid envelope. Common infections in humans cause ...

'', in the family ''

Herpesviridae ''Orthoherpesviridae'', previously named and more widely known as ''Herpesviridae'', is a large family of DNA viruses that cause infections and certain diseases in animals, including humans. The members of this family are commonly known as herp ...

'', in the subfamily ''

Alphaherpesvirinae ''Alphaherpesvirinae'' is a subfamily of viruses in the family ''Herpesviridae'', primarily distinguished by reproducing more quickly than other subfamilies in the ''Herpesviridae''. In animal virology the most important herpesviruses belong to ...

''. Turtles and tortoises serve as natural hosts. Diseases associated with this genus include fibropapillomatosis.

Species

The genus consists of the following species: * '' Scutavirus chelonidalpha5'', also called Chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 * '' Scutavirus testudinidalpha3'', also called Testudinid alphaherpesvirus 3

Structure

Viruses in ''Scutavirus'' are enveloped, with icosahedral, spherical to pleomorphic, and round geometries, and T=16 symmetry. The diameter is around 150-200 nm. Genomes are linear and non-segmented.

Life cycle

Viral replication is nuclear, and is

lysogenic Lysogeny, or the lysogenic cycle, is one of two cycles of viral reproduction (the lytic cycle being the other). Lysogeny is characterized by integration of the bacteriophage nucleic acid into the host bacterium's genome or formation of a cir ...

. Entry into the host cell is achieved by attachment of the viral gB, gC, gD and gH proteins to host receptors, which mediates endocytosis. Replication follows the dsDNA bidirectional replication model. DNA-templated transcription, with some alternative splicing mechanism is the method of transcription. The virus exits the host cell by nuclear egress, and budding. Turtles and tortoises serve as the natural host.

References

External links

Viralzone: ''Scutavirus''

ICTV
{{Taxonbar, from=Q18813465 Alphaherpesvirinae Virus genera